Murty gets help

Fine ness for Gers

Greg Taylor’s cross to the back post was met by the on-loan Hearts striker who headed it down to the near post.

It looked like a simple take for the keeper only it somehow squirmed underneath him before landing in the net.

After that Saints huffed and puffed to find a way back into the game but it never looked likely as Killie saw it out to boost their top-six hopes.

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What they said

LEE McCULLOCH praised his players as they bounced back from their Aberdeen disappointment to keep their top six hopes alive.

Goals in either half from Rory McKenzie and Conor Sammon gave Killie the win and the caretaker boss was pleased to see the Irishman hit his first goal since his return to the club.

He said: “I’m delighted with the way they bounced back from the kick in the teeth last week.

“Conor was a real handful. Maybe his confidence dipped at Hearts but he has been different class since he’s come in.

“He has a great attitude, the young boys can look up to him and learn. If he keeps performing like that there will be no complaints.

“It was great technique from Rory for his goal and he’s getting better and better.

“It was brilliant to see it going it. I wasn’t going to get animated until I saw that net rippling, but it was a great feeling. If he keeps working he will go on to bigger and better things.”

McCulloch again refused to rule himself out of taking over the Rugby Park hotseat and insists he’s loving being a boss.

He added: “I don’t know what will happen, I was just thinking about today.

“I don’t know if it’s getting the management bug but I have loved it. It’s an honest group of players and I’ve enjoyed working with them.

“There’s been long days but I’m really enjoying it. It doesn’t harm the chances when the boys play like that.”

TOMMY WRIGHT slammed his players and claimed the first 45 minutes were the worst he’s seen in his CAREER!

Killie done the double on Saints at McDiarmid Park as they failed to capitalise on defeats for Rangers and Hearts to close the gap on third.

Wright sighed: “I can’t believe the first half and it’s probably the worst performance since I’ve been here. The number of mistakes, non-tackles, not winning second balls, misplaced passes, players caught in possession.

“You have to give Killie credit but I’m looking to my team and we didn’t do the basics well. The pitch dried out because of the weather so it became bobbly so I don’t know why we didn’t give good quality to the keeper.

“The first goal is a comedy of errors, take nothing away from the finish, but it summed up our first half. It was comical, brutal, and I’m sure it left a lot of fans numb, because it certainly did myself and Callum.

“We knew we had to start quicker at home so to go out and do that is criminal. We were better in the second half, but the one chance they get, we don’t deal with the high ball and the keeper should save it – so we have gifted them two goals.

“Only Joe Shaughnessy, Richard Foster and Paul Paton, who was only on for 30 minutes, come out from it with any credit. The strikers never got much service but the rest were way below par.”